1846 recipe for "A Yorkshire Christmas Pie", courtesy of Brass Goggles:

"First, bone a turkey, a goose, a brace of young pheasants, four partridges, four woodcocks, a dozen snipes, four grouse, and four widgeons; then boil and trim a small York ham and two tongues..."

Newgrange. Originally uploaded by laser927


This is the Sun coming in through the long tunnel of the barrow at Newgrange at dawn on the Winter Solstice.

Researching a chapter I wrote for a book discussing the Sun in mythology, I came across a quote saying that the sunlight enters Newgrange quickly and devastatingly, "like a sword" rather than the typically softer creep of Dawn.

For everyone celebrating the solstice and whole Yule season I hope you have a lovely celebration - and that the New Year brings good things!

I just cut my hair. It's a simple cut, the sort that has hairdressers hold up their hands in horror. I started cutting it myself when cash was really tight and I couldn't justify haircuts. Then when Faun was at St Chavs and coming home nitty every 2 weeks, I didn't want the humiliation of "Oh we can't cut *your* hair, it appears to be alive".

Well we have disposable cash these days and Faun has been nit-free for 9 months and I still cut my hair today.

Once, done, I looked into the mirror and ...
*sigh*

I've given myself Gwen Cooper's hair.

AGAIN.

*facepalm*

Gorgeous, gorgeous track used in the latest ep of Dollhouse, by Swedish grammy-winner Anna Ternheim.

Best Christmas song ever.


White Wine In The Sun - by Tim Minchin.

I really like Christmas
It's sentimental, I know, but I just really like it
I am hardly religious:
I'd rather break bread with Dawkins than Desmond Tu-tu ...to... be honest.

And yes, I have all of the usual objections to consumerism
To the commercialisation of an ancient religion,
To the westernisation of a dead Palestinian
Press-ganged into selling Playstations and beer.

...But I still really like it.

I'm looking forward to Christmas,
Though I'm not expecting a visit from Jesus.
I'll be seeing my dad,
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum,
They'll be drinking white wine in the sun.
I'll be seeing my dad,
My sisters and brother, my gran and my mum,
They'll be drinking white wine in the sun.

I don't go in for ancient wisdom.
I don't believe just 'cos ideas are tenacious it means that they're worthy.

I get freaked out by churches.
Some of the hymns that they sing have nice chords,
but the lyrics are dodgy.

And yes, I have all of the usual objections
To the mis-education of children
Who in tax-exempt institutions
Are taught to externalise blame
And to feel ashamed
And to judge things as plain right or wrong.

...But I quite like the songs.

I'm not expecting big presents.
The old combination of socks, jocks and chocolates is just fine by me.

Cos I'll be seeing my dad,
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum.
They'll be drinking white wine in the sun.
I'll be seeing my dad,
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum.
They'll be drinking white wine in the sun.

And you, my baby girl
My jetlagged infant daughter
You'll be handed 'round the room
Like a puppy at a primary school
And you won't understand
But you will learn someday
That wherever you are and whatever you face
These are the people who'll make you feel safe in this world
My sweet blue-eyed girl.

And if, my baby girl,
When you're twenty-one or thirty-one
And Christmas comes around,
And you find yourself nine thousand miles from home,
You'll know what...ever... comes
Your brothers and sisters and me and your Mum
Will be waiting for you in the sun.

Whenever you come -
Your brothers and sisters, your aunts and your uncles
Your grandparents, cousins and me and your mum,
They'll all be waiting for you in the sun.

Drinking white wine in the sun,
Darlin' when Christmas comes
We'll be waiting for you in the sun.
Drinking white wine in the sun
Waiting for you in the sun
Waiting for you
Waiting...

I, I really like Christmas.
It's sentimental, I know.

is that it hardly ever delivers.

As you may have guessed, I am somewhat obsessed with snow. So after stark work warnings about the oncoming snow storm, and watching bits of snow fall almost horizontally throughout the evening, this is what I woke up to this morning – my snow landscape in West London:

Bah. and Humbug. Where’s my snow ?!

Mirrored from almost witty.

Simon Pegg thinks you should watch this review of the Phantom Menace, and he's right.

It carefully explains exactly why the film has no excitement, no actual characters, lots of people who say "we must do this thing!" and then either fail to act or end up doing the opposite, why the logic isn't even internally consistent, and why the lightsaber fights don't work. He doesn't even mention midi-chlorians, which I think is frankly generous.

Entire case proven by asking people to describe C-3PO's personality. They immediately come out with several adjectives each:
'Prissy'
'anal-retentive'
'bumbling'
'scaredy-cat'
'timid'
'comic relief'
'high-strung'
'effeminate'

and then describe Queen Amidala:
'...'
'...'
'...That is going to be f***ing impossible, because she doesn't have a personality.'
'...Monotone?'

He's right on every point, but I'd missed loads of the THIS MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE bits in Phantom Menace. I knew it had no drama or sympathetic characters, but the amount of bonkers is amazing when it's pointed out clearly. And there are moments in this review when he drops the comedy and just states something in detail and you realise that he's absolutely nailed it, and also that the Phantom Menace is a giant steaming piece of ...but then we knew that already.

WARNING: LOTS OF SWEARING FROM THE START.

I've heard some fun things about North Carolina over the years. Okay, that's not quite true... all the events which have happened to people I directly know are along the lines of wife-beating, being totally outcast from society for daring to get a divorce from said wife-beating husband, fundie christians pulling the usual ostracism and less usual violence against non-christians, allegedly average people doing exactly the same thing to anyone who looks funny, and a number of people I only met briefly who had really, really stupid beliefs on religion and politics. In short, it comes off worse than South Carolina, and that was hardly a bastion of liberal tolerance or informed thought. (Yes, I've been to both - and Georgia, but not Tennessee. I realise my view is skewed and that small-town life is more conservative everywhere, but that's what I honestly have direct experience of).

Still, even I hadn't realised that the Constitution of North Carolina specifically says that only Christians can hold office.

"Article 6, section 8 of the state constitution says: “The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.”

Cecil Bothwell won the election, but oh no - he's an atheist! Can't have that. His opponents are complaining (yes, in 2009) that he should be disqualified for being a godless heathen.

Unfortunately for them "article VI of the U.S. Constitution says: “no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” So they'll have to put up with the properly elected but christ-denying sinner for now.

Anyone got *nice* stories of NC?

We have snow!

Richmond Park today (photo from the Telegraph.co.uk):